Rio: The Arena Tournament
by MCGamemaster90
Summary: The annual arena tournament between two clans, fighting for the title of championship! Five members per clan will battle. Who will win, who will lose? Set after Rio 2.
1. The tournament begins

_**Rio: The Arena Tournament**_

 _ **Hi guys! I'm back after a long time away. This is just a little idea I came up with so I wouldn't expect to see too many chapters. Hope you guys like it though!**_

 ** _Special_** _ **guest stars: Rico the black hawk from author Ricardo the black hawk.**_

* * *

"It's a beautiful day here in the arena." Porcupine Game Announcer declared from their small alcove overlooking the pit.

His partner and friend-the Tapir Game Announcer-continued. "And what better time of the year to host the fifth annual tournament games. Ahh, it looks like our teams are coming in right now!"

A crowd of birds gathered in their respective seats, eager to watch the match between the two clans. Every year the blue macaw clan would gather in this area to fight against the scarlet macaw clan in a battle between members. In the past, this was used as an excuse for the clans to fight each other without declaring war, but now, it was used for friendly battles. That didn't mean that anyone was going to hold back.

With different rules, the matches were slightly altered. Instead of being limited to birds of the same clan, other species were now allowed to join the teams so long as there was at least one bird from the original clan participating.

From each side the teams emerged. Representing the blue macaw clan were five members: Blu and Roberto the blue macaws, Rico the black hawk, Armando the Lear macaw and Mac the yellow bird.

As for their opponents, representing the scarlet macaw clan were another five members: Carlos and Enrico the scarlet macaws, AJ the yellow-collared macaw, Simon the sulphur-crested cockatoo and Anton the legendary bat.

"Let this be known that this is the first-time other bird species have been allowed to participate!" the Porcupine Game Announcer reminded excitedly.

"I gotta good feeling about this year's match!" the Tapir Game Announcer agreed.

The blue macaw team gathered around their respective benches to discuss the tournament. Eduardo was there as their coach while Felipe covered his own clan respectively.

"All of you are new here-except for you Roberto-so it's my job to explain to you the rules," Eduardo informed strictly. "One fighter from both sides will be called to fight. You can win three ways: knocking your opponent out the ring, knocking them down hard or if they give up. Any questions?"

Rico raised his wing.

"Yes Rico?"

"Is there any beer?"

Eduardo frowned. He turned towards Nico, giving him an annoyed look. "You told me he was a professional."

"Relax…" Nico assured while he and Pedro shared grapes.

Eduardo merely sighed while he observed the rest of their team: Blu was nervous, Roberto was confident, Rico and Diego looked uninterested and as for Mac, he looked terrified! The only reason he was here as to help build up his confidence. The only family he had was his brother who watched from the crowd.

Needless to say, Blu wasn't exactly excited either. The only reason he was here was the constant pressure from his family to participate. As future leader of the clan, he had to learn one way or another. He whined: "Ooh, why do I have to do this? I'm not built for fighting. I'm a city bird!"

"Just relax, Blu," Jewel soothed while she gently rubbed his wings. "You'll be fine out there. It's all for sport, not for fighting. Besides, there's a chance our guys might do so well that they'll be no-one left to right when it's your turn."

"I guess," Blu sighed. "Oh, this is going to be a long day."

Jewel quickly made sure no-one was in listening range before leaning over. She whispered: "If you do good, I promise I'll make you that special grape pie you like."

Blu's eyes widened. That was his favourite food here! "Really? You will!?"

Jewel nodded. "I promise."

The crowd settled as the announcers continued their speech.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the Tapir Game Announcer announced. "It is with great honour to welcome you all to the fifth games tournament! This year's match will be different from the others!"

"With new birds participating, we can all witness new fights than before!" the Porcupine Game Announcer said, jumping with joy. "And it looks like our coaches are moving towards the centre of the arena to speak."

Eduardo and Felipe greeted each other simultaneously, both their respective grins. In the previous four years, the clans had won two tournaments each. This fifth match may be the best one yet.

The coach-a brown peregrine falcon-brought the two coaches together. "Now I'm sure you're both aware of the rules, but I must still read them as procedure: Victories are won from out of bounds, knockout or surrender. Remind your team that this is a sport, NOT a brutal contest. Anyone who goes too far will be disqualified. Any questions?"

There was silence.

"Good." The couch said. "Now both of you go back to your team. The first round is soon."

Both leaders retreated to their respective corners. Seeing that his team didn't look to excited, it was time for his famous strict-yet-motivational-speech. "All of you bring something to the team: strength, speed, intelligence, and power. Stick to your trait and fight. Just remember that your opponents are just like you: they feel pain and bleed just the same."

The members seemed more confident. Except for Mac that is, who still looked terrified. He couldn't stop shaking. He was hoping that his name wasn't going to be called first. The match was about to begin and that meant anyone not on the team had to go and sit in the stands.

Jewel pecked Blu on his peck. "Good luck, Blu."

Blu watched as she joined their children in the front row. It was just him and the team now.

The coach grabbed the first set of cards containing the names of the righters. He accepted them from the announcers and read them out loud. "For the first round, we have Rico VS Carlos!"

Rico stood, eager to get this show on the road. He stretched out his wings while marching towards the arena.

"Go get him, Rico!" Pedro cheered.

"Kick his butt!" Nico agreed.

Rico seemed quite confident. That was until he met his opponent in the centre. When Carlos was sitting down, Rico failed to notice how huge this guy was! He must be at least three times his size and even that was pushing it. This guy wasn't going down easy no doubt.

The two stared one another down despite their height differences. The coach stood in between them.

"Rico, Carlos, I want a good clean fight. Don't get carried away. If I tell either of you to step back, you do. Got it?"

The two nodded.

"Good." The couch moved back to avoid getting in their way. He placed his wings around his beak and announced. "Round 1! Fight!"

And so, the first match begun and it was going to be a great one.


	2. Round 1 and 2

_**Rio: The Arena Tournament**_

 _ **Thanks for waiting. Chapter 2 is up!**_

* * *

"Round 1! Fight!"

Upon hearing the bell, the fight begun. Rico placed himself into a combat position, carefully eyeing his opponent. Carlos was a big guy, no doubt he could withstand some attacks. Still, he could just as easily be knocked down with enough force. For now, Rico simply circled his opponent while Carlos stood in his spot.

"Round 1 begins. Our opponents appear to be studying each other's statics." Porcupine Game Announcer stated.

"Carlos has a clear advantage with his size," Tapir Game Announcer added. "Rico the hawk is certainly going to have a fight on his hands."

The crowd cheered for both opponents depending on who they were supporting. Rico prepared to attack while Carlos had not yet moved. Finally, Rico lunged and curled his wing into a fist. He threw his fist directly into Carlos chest. This had no effect at all. Everyone was simply shocked that Carlos would tolerate such as punch.

Rico's eyes shot open and his head boiled like steam. He begun to scream as he clutched his injured wing.

Carlos took advantage of this, without another word he lifted his giant wing and back slapped Rico hard. His strength was so strong that he easily knocked the hawk out of the ring and overall, out of the match.

"Ohhhh!" Tapir Game Announcer had to cover his eyes.

"And Rico the hawk is out, ladies and gentlemen!" Porcupine Game Announcer, jumping with enthusiasm.

The blue macaw team were certainly feeling doubtful now that their first fighter was out so soon. Eduardo could only watch in shock as two white macaws carried the injured hawk out of the arena.

The coach leaped out from his position and announced: "Carlos is the winner of round 1!"

Eduardo was certainly not happy needless to say. He did not hesitate to point a judging wingtip towards Blu. "Unacceptable! You promised me that these birds were the best of the best!"

Blu shuffled back when shouted at. "Sir, relax! It's not over yet. Rico just got a little over confident. I promise that we can still do this so long as we keep together."

Eduardo was hesitant to believe him. Still, after Blu had saved them from the loggers, he owed it to at least try and take his word for it. He calmed himself and crossed his wings. "Very well. Now prepare yourself for you could be next."

Blu gulped.

The coach returned to the centre of the arena where Carlos was waving to the ring in victory. "Next up for round 2 we have…. Armando VS Carlos!"

The Lear macaw leaped up from his bench and begun to step into the ring. The blue macaw team were now silently praying that they did not lose their second player already.

Armando and Carlos met halfway between the ring, staring one another down. One was determined not to make the same mistakes his partner did while the other was eager to knock another player out of the match.

"Armando, Carlos, you both know the rules." The coach informed the two. After a nod of confirmation, he leaped back out of the ring. "Round 2! Fight!"

"Round 2 has begun and so far, it may seem that the blue macaw team are going to be out of fighters." Tapir Game Announcer narrated.

"Carlos is one durable bird, getting him to give up will not be an easy." Porcupine Game Announcer stated.

Eduardo was nervous. More nervous than he had been in a long time. Usually they had at least knocked out two opponents before they lost one of their own. He begun to nibble his wingtips nervously.

Armando carefully studied Carlos, determined not to make the same mistake his teammate had. "You're going down, big boy."

Carlos chuckled to that remark. "Whenever you're ready, shorty."

Armando glared and with switch speed, he lunged forward and punched Carlos in his lower torso to try and wind him. His attack failed. In desperation, Armando begun to deliver a fury of attacks against Carlos in different parts of his body but his attacks did not appear to harm him at all.

"This is incredible! Contestant Carlos is not taking any damage whatsoever!" Tapir Game Announcer yelled.

Armando ceased his punches after they were proven in effective. He stepped back and turned towards his teammates for advice: "Guys! Any ideas?"

"Don't bother hitting him with your fists," Eduardo advised. "Use your head a little!"

Armando nodded. "Right."

Misinterpreting Eduardo's advice, Armando lunged forward and headbutted Carlos in his chest. This not only failed but injured Armando more than it did Carlos.

Armando stumbled, holding his wings against his dazed head.

Eduardo sighed and slapped his wing against his head. "That's not what I meant!"

Carlos chuckled in amusement. "Foolish bird."

"Carlos!"

The large macaw turned towards his teammates where Felipe had called him. His coach yelled out: "Stop toying with your opponents before it costs you! Knock him out now!"

Carlos preferred to mess with each of his enemies a lot longer but still, this did not bother him. He still had another three fighters to battle against if he won this one.

Carlos raised his wing to attack but stopped when he noted Armando ducking down. This left him confused. That was until he felt Armando grabbing onto his talon. "What are y-WHOA!"

Taking Eduardo's advice more clearly, Armando decided to use Carlos' size against him. While Carlos had been distracted, Armando had grabbed onto his talon and with some struggle, he flipped the large macaw down onto his back.

Armando chuckled and dusted his wings. "I had the feeling you would fall over easy enough. Now, let's get you out of here."

Armando stood at the end of Carlos and grabbed both of his talons within his wings. It took him to use a lot of strength, but eventually and slowly, he begun to pull Carlos towards the end of the ring.

"Contestant Armando has knocked down Carlos and now he appears to be pulling him towards the end of the arena!" Porcupine Game Announcer jumped with joy.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Carlos demanded and struggled to free himself.

Armando ignored his demands and continued pulling him through the arena. It was putting strain on his wings but nothing was going to stop him.

It took some time but he dragged Carlos to the end of the ring and finally released him.

Enraged, Carlos leaped to his feet and threw his giant wing towards the smaller macaw. Armando caught his giant wing within both of his own.

"Carlos, what are you doing!?" Felipe shouted, causing the other fighters on their team (except for Anton) to jump.

Armando didn't know how he did it but he pulled Carlos over his shoulder and out of the ring. The giant bird landed flat down onto his stomach, out of bounds.

"Oh!" Tapir Game Announcer yelled.

"Unbelievable! Carlos is out!"

The coach stood by Armando and raised his wing. "Armando is the winner of round 2!"

Cheers erupted from half the crowd. Eduardo was certainly relieved to see that there may be a chance after all for their team.

Felipe leaped up from his bench, placing both of his wings against his head and shouted: "No!"

Armando begun to take some bows followed by waves.

"It looks like both teams have now lost a contestant each!" Tapir Game Announcer stated.

"Team blue macaw may have a chance after all!" Porcupine Game Announcer agreed.

"Yes, he did it!" Blu whopped and placed one wing over Mac, who was still shaking with some fear.

Feeling Blu's wing had caused him to shuffles but Blu offered the young bird a smile to assure him that everything would be fine. Mac smiled too, though this did not ease his worries.

The coach returned the centre of the arena the next set of cards. He read them out loud once the crowd settled: "And now for round 3 we have…Armando VS Simon!"


	3. Round 3

_**Rio: The Arena Tournament**_

 ** _Chapter 3 is here. I think I'll be taking a little break until after Christmas. See you all after then!_**

* * *

"And now for round 3 we have…Armando VS Simon!"

The cockatoo stood up from his seat and stepped into the ring. Most of his team were cheering for him. Felipe was too busy scolding Carlos while Anton appeared uninterested. For most of the right, the bat had sat there with his wings crossed and eyes closed.

The coach brought both birds together. "Armando, Simon. You both now the rules. Good luck to the both of you." He stepped back and called from a safe distance: "Round 3! Fight!"

Armando did not exactly have time to prepare a defence when Simon had lunged towards him. Simon threw a fury of punches as Armando tried to block them.

Simon threw one strong punch towards Armando and knocked him towards the edge of arena. Armando's feet touched the edge of the arena as he threw his wings rapidly to balance himself.

Some gasped. Armando's foot almost fell over the edge, but with some effort, prevented himself from falling.

"Just when you thought it'd be a short match folks, Armando is still in the game!" Tapir Game Announcer stated.

Armando recovered and the game's continued. Both fighters appeared to be equally matched as they fought with different styles. Armando's consisted of using speed while Simon mostly relied on his strength.

Needless to say, that it was hard to determine who was going to win this. Nico and Pedro even begun to make bets over who they believed was going to be the winner.

Despite Blu merely spectating, he was nervous. Blu was not the type of bird who liked to be stereotypical but Simon reminded him too much of Nigel. Apart from being a sadistic cockatoo, Nigel would never hesitate to hurt those who oppose them no matter who they were. His incredible strength also made him a difficult opponent. He was relieved that he was gone, but that still didn't make him feel comfortable watching Simon.

Mac who had been silent for most of the fight, leaned over towards Blu. "Uh, excuse me, Mr. Blu?"

Blu turned towards him. "Something wrong, Mac?"

"That bird makes me nervous." Mac admitted with a hint of worry in his tone.

"I understand," Blu assured with a small smile. "Simon gives me a bad vibe too."

Mac raised an eyebrow. "I'm not talking about Simon, I mean Anton."

Blu averted his attention towards said bat. Anton had not moved from his position and even though he had not yet done anything to give a bad impression, the bat scared Mac. The fact that he had not moved since sent chills down his spine.

Blu didn't think further about it when the battle caught his attention. Armando and Mac were still going at it, throwing different punches and kicks to try and gain an advantage over the other.

"You're pretty good," Armando praised in between the punches they exchanged.

Simon merely grinned but could not share the same feeling. As Armando threw another punch, Simon caught him in a wing lock before delivering a devastating headbutt. The force of the blow almost knocked Armando unconscious.

Simon prepared to continue his assault but stopped when the coach interfered.

"Stop!" the coach ordered, forcing Simon to cease his attack on the dazed Armando. "No attacking opponents who are in no condition to fight back."

Simon groaned but obeyed for now. He stepped back and crossed his wings.

The coach attended to Armando to so check if he was still in any condition to fight. Armando was dazed, his eyes were rolling and he felt as if stars were circling his head.

It took Armando a few seconds to get out from his dizzy state. He shook his head and made certain he was fine. "I'm good, I'm good," He confirmed.

The coach nodded and allowed Armando to continue his fight. Armando recovered and prepared himself.

"That all you got?" Armando taunted with a wave of insult.

Simon frowned but kept his cool. He raised his wings and continued his assault against Armando. Resuming their match, the two begun to exchange punches again.

"This is an incredible match so far!" Porcupine Game Announcer whooped.

"That last blow may have injured Armando but he's certainly not giving up." Tapir Game Announcer agreed.

Armando blocked two more of Simon's strikes before leaping back. His current strategy was not getting him anywhere and therefore, he needed to switch up his fighting style. Armando begun to circle around Simon while studying the cockatoo's fighting style. Simon was obviously trying to knock him out quick and was using quite a bit of strength to do so. He must be tiring himself down with those strong punches.

Now Armando had an idea. Risky but an idea. Simon get close and begun his attack again but instead of fighting back, Armando decided to go on the defensive. If he could just tire him down enough, Armando may be able to knock him out easier.

Simon threw punch after punch after punch, but no matter how hard he hit, he couldn't break through Armando's defences. Armando was putting up a good fight and may have a chance of winning after all.

"You're winning, Armando!" Eduardo called. "Just keep that up and you can win!"

Felipe noted this and begun to shout out his own advice: "Simon! You're wasting your energy trying to knock him down with one punch! Be smart."

Simon didn't listen and continued throwing strong knockout blows but he couldn't land a single hit on him. He was growing more and more frustrated by the second.

Armando continued dodging or blocking the cockatoo's attacks with the occasional counter jab to Simon's torso. Armando wouldn't be able to knock him out this way but he could at the very least make it easier.

"Contestant Simon appears to be losing his edge!" Tapir Game Announcer called.

"It won't be long until one of them is out of the match!" Porcupine Game Announcer stated. "And by the looks of it, Contestant Armando has the upper hand."

Simon heard this and this only enraged his desire to win further. Now he was angry. Simon continued his assault but this time, he was prepared. Armando went to counter with a quick strike again but this time, Simon anticipated his movement and caught Armando in a wing-lock.

Now that he had Armando in his grasp, Simon ended this. With Armando's wing trapped in his own, Simon did not hesitate to snap Armando's wing upwards, breaking it and rendering the other macaw flightless and unable to fight.

Armando screamed in agony as he collapsed onto his back, holding his injured wing.

"OW!" Tapir Game Announcer cringed upon seeing the damage of Armando's. "Contestant Simon as used reckless behaviour."

"That is without a doubt an attack worthy of disqualification." Porcupine Game Announcer agreed. "It looks like the coach is stepping in."

The coach stepped in between Armando and Simon before the cockatoo could cause further damage. "I told you the use of brutal force was forbidden! You're disqualified! Out!"

Simon growled but striking the coach would not lead to good results. The security arriving made him reconsider as well. Although hesitant, Simon turned and marched off the arena, all while the crowd from both teams were booing towards him.

One scarlet macaw from the spectating side even threw a berry that splattered over Simon's head. "You suck!" he insulted.

No one was more displeased than Felipe. As soon as Simon returned, he angrily stood and confronted the cockatoo for his reckless behaviour. "What do you think you were doing?! I told you to be smart, not reckless! You've just got yourself kicked out of the games! And for what? Just so you could beat up one bird?!"

Simon frowned. He was done taking orders from other bird. Simon stood over the scarlet macaw and shoved him down. "I don't work for you! I do what I want, when I want!"

Felipe fell and slightly panicked as Simon raised his wing to hit him.

The announcers witnessed this from their stand along with the rest of the crowd.

"It looks like Simon is attacking his own coach!" Porcupine Game Announcer gasped.

"Security!" Tapir Game Announcer called.

A couple of eagles acting as security swiftly marched over towards them as fast as their talons could carry them. By the time they arrived however, it turned out Felipe didn't need their help at all. Before Simon could strike, he felt a devastating sharp pain in his lower torso.

Simon gowned and averted his eyes downwards. Anton stood beside him with his curled wing pressed against Simon's body. Simon may have stood over the bat but that apparently didn't make him more durable.

Without another word, Simon collapsed onto his back, clutching his injured torso while doing so. The security eagles picked him up and escorted him out of the arena, banning him from watching the rest of the match.

"Incredible!" Tapir Game Announcer called. "I guess we can see why they call him 'the legendary bat'!"

The crowd cheered for Anton as the bat sat back down, crossing his wings with his eyes closed as before. Felipe was helped up by Enrico, surprised after witnessing the amount of damage his team member had caused.

"Th-Thank you," Felipe expressed his gratitude. It seemed he had picked out at least one great fighter after all.

Anton did not reply and remained seated. Usually rules in these situations would result in two members being kicked out for fighting each other outside the ring but given that Anton had saved his couch, this was an exception.

Jewel witnessed this from the crowd and didn't know what to believe. That bat was incredible! He moved so fast that she didn't even see him move. "Wow."

"He's cool, Mom!" Tiago whooped.

"He's…Something that's for sure," Jewel half-agreed. She certainly wished Anton was on their team now, although her confidence in her team did not pass.

Meanwhile, Armando could tolerate the pain enough to stand with some help from the arena coach.

"Hang in there," the coach assured as he slowly released Armando once he could stand under his own strength. "Get back to your team, I'll go and fetch the medics."

Armando nodded, too much in pain to speak. This match resulted in a loss for both teams and if events like this were to keep up, there's no telling who was going to win.


	4. Round 4

_**Rio: The Arena Tournament**_

 ** _Hey everyone, chapter 4 is here! I hope everyone enjoyed Christmas. Please take sometime to leave reviews on my story so I can work on improvements. Thank you._**

* * *

With Armando injured and Simon disqualified for his reckless behaviour, it was time for two new fighters from both sides to join. The coach returned to the judges to get the medics along with the new cards.

Armando joined the rest of the team and almost collapsed from exhaustion along with his injury. Others ran out to attend to their injured ally.

"Good work out there, Armando," Eduardo praised. "I should have known Simon would try something like this."

"Um, are you saying that because he's a cockatoo?" Mac inquired but moved when Eduardo glanced his way.

"Don't worry guys." Armando assured between groans. An injured wing wasn't exactly fun.

The medics arrived and took Armando away to receive medical care for his wing. His wing would recover in no time but not soon enough that he would be able to join the tournament again.

Eduardo sighed as he sat down and crossed his wings. "This is not looking good. We've already lost two of our fighters."

"But at least they've lost two of their own as well," Blu reminded to try and make light of the situation.

"Still, I would prepare yourself," Eduardo advised. "There's a one-third chance you'll be next."

That was reassuring.

The coach returned after a moment or two with a new set of cards. He landed on the centre of the arena and waited for the crowd to settle. He announced: "For our next round we have...Roberto VS AJ!"

The crowd supporting the blue macaw clan roared with cheers more than their opponents. Roberto was one of the most popular members of their clan and with their support, there was no way they could lose. Out of the four previous matches, the only reason they lost two was because of Roberto not being present.

Roberto leaped up and stepped into the arena with many cheers coming from his fans.

"We love you, Roberto!" a female blue macaw screamed from her seat.

Roberto waved to his fans but made certain not to get too confident. After all, there were still three fighters to deal with.

On the other side, AJ stood up and prepared himself for battle. He marched towards the ring, determined not to fall.

"Go and get him, AJ!" Felipe cheered him on. He noted Enrico sitting beside him drinking heavily from a bottle of beer. "Hey Enrico, take it easy on the beer. I need you active in case AJ loses."

Roberto and AJ met halfway through the arena, staring the other down. Both were roughly the same height with similar fitness shape.

"Roberto, AJ, I hope you both were taking notes from that last fight," the coach questioned them. "Any more use of brutal force results in your entire team being disqualified, not just yourselves. Understood?"

Both nodded in confirmation.

"Good." the coach once again departed out of their way and announced the next round yet again. "Round 4! Fight!"

Simultaneously both fighters got themselves in a combat position and prepared themselves for battle. They circled each other, unsure on who was going to strike first.

"Roberto," AJ chuckled with a small grin. "I've heard many stories about you. When they told me you would be fighting in this tournament, I did nothing but train."

"You talk the talk, AJ but can you walk the walk?" Roberto questioned. He could tell AJ was feeling very confident and intended to use that against him.

AJ threw a punch but Roberto caught it and flipped the yellow-collared macaw over his shoulder.

"OH!" Tapir Game Announcer gasped. "A quick attack there from Roberto."

"The blue macaw has much more experience than AJ but will this new comer get lucky?" Porcupine Game Announcer wondered.

AJ leaped to his feet and did not hesitate to throw a fury of punches. He was quite fast to the point that Roberto barely dodged each one. AJ got lucky and hit Roberto twice: once in the head and another in the chest.

Roberto groaned but swiftly dodged before kicking AJ back to gain some distance between them.

"AJ seems to be a lot quicker than everyone could anticipate," Tapir Game Announcer noted.

"Round 4 could possibly be the longest round yet!" Porcupine Game Announcer agreed. He averted his eyes elsewhere and noted another interesting sight. "And it appears Roberto has a fan base!"

A group of female macaws danced like cheerleaders in their seats as they cheered on their fan. They chanted: "Go Roberto! Go Roberto! Go Roberto!"

Back towards the arena, Roberto and AJ rapidly exchanged blows with each other, neither seeming to get an advantage over the other. The two fighters had incredible speed and skill. It was difficult to determine who was winning.

While the two were fighting, Blu appeared to be more interested in their opposing team than the actual fight itself. While the remaining members of scarlet macaw team were spectating, Anton the bat was still in his same position: eyes closed and crossed wings while sitting. After witnessing his attack against Simon, he was fascinated with the bat's abilities. Simon had strength with a tough body yet Anton defeated him with only one blow.

Curious, Blu leaned over to Eduardo for information. "Sir, that bat on Felipe's team? Anton? Why do they call him the legendary bat?"

Eduardo didn't know where to begin. He chuckled. "That's a long story, Blu."

"But we have time until Roberto wins," Blu reminded.

"True," Eduardo agreed. He sighed, "Very well. Anton is a legend among his people, the bat clan. He's very old, amongst the first of his clan. Years after years many would attack their people but no matter the odds, Anton has never lost a battle. He would stand his ground, showing no signs of fear. That's probably why Felipe hired him for his tournament. Our clan and theirs have never fought. If we can get through these other fighters, Anton will be their toughest one yet. No one has ever beat him before. I must be honest, Blu, I'm not sure if we can beat Anton. I was hoping our other fighters would get through and tire him down before we beat him."

Blu was left a little speechless. He turned towards Anton yet again who hadn't shifted at the slightest. Blu gulped. "I sure hope I'm not the one who has to face him."

Eduardo chuckled. "Believe me, Blu. You wouldn't be the first to say that."

Their attention shifted towards the arena between the match against Roberto and AJ. They continued fighting with everything they had but still they couldn't gain an advantage over the other.

Frustrated that they weren't getting anywhere, AJ threw one more powerful strike directly into Roberto's beak. The force had knocked Roberto backwards but he was able to prevent himself from stumbling out of the ring.

Roberto's beak felt like fire but regardless, he continued fighting. Now however, he might have finally found a weakness within AJ's technique: he was too impatient. He grinned. "What's the matter, AJ? Can't hit me?"

"Shut up!" AJ screamed and continued throwing punches. His temper was causing him to miscalculate his strikes, making it easier for Roberto to dodge his attacks. "Stand still!"

Roberto took this chance to study AJ's fighting style until he spotted an opening. Roberto caught his wing and delivered a counter-attack via a kick to the chest.

AJ stumbled but didn't give up. He cried out in anger as he threw more hits.

"It appear that contestant AJ is beginning to lose his temper!" Porcupine Game Announcer stated.

"It's looking good so far for team blue clan!" Tapir Game Announcer agreed.

Roberto dodged another attack and countered AJ with a kick to the stomach, knocking him backwards. AJ regained his footing before he fell out of the ring.

Felipe was getting frustrated with his team's faults. He should have picked better fighters (with the exception of Anton). Felipe leaped up and screamed: "AJ! Stop getting angry! That's exactly what he wants you to do. Don't make the same mistake Simon did! Calm down and think."

"Insightful as ever, Felipe." Enrico spoke for the first time since their arrival. Nevertheless, he appeared more interested in his drink than the fight.

AJ heard his mentor's words but did not listen. Instead, AJ jumped back towards Roberto and continued throwing his fury of punches.

Roberto dodged most if not all of AJ's punches and was beginning to see the younger macaw was tiring himself down. He may be fast but what use were punches if he couldn't land a single hit?

Being patient, Roberto continued to stay on the defence until he saw an opening. AJ was beginning to throw slower punches and was struggling to catch his breath. He tried but none of his hits collided.

With one final punch, AJ threw but was caught in a wing lock by his opponent. Combining all his strength, Roberto placed his wings around AJ and with some effort, he lifted the smaller macaw above his head.

"Incredible!" Porcupine Game Announcer whooped.

As Roberto held AJ above him, he slammed the macaw into the ground and released him. The impact of the collision caused AJ to groan in agony as he remained unable to fight any longer. Exhaustion combined with the previous hits he received, AJ could barely move his own head.

"AJ, get up!" Felipe pleaded but his words fell on deaf ears.

AJ groaned but was unable to recover. He was out of the game. Although stubborn, AJ did not hesitant to admit defeat and stay down. No point taking any more damage.

The coach emerged and raised Roberto's wing. "Roberto is the winner of round 4!"

"Contestant Roberto is victorious!" Tapir Game Announcer announced proudly.

More cheers than usual erupted from the crowd of the blue macaws. A few female macaws begun to throw roses into the arena for their idol. Roberto knew the fight was not yet over but that didn't he couldn't enjoy this victory at least. He respectfully took a bow to his fans followed by waves.

Roberto only had a couple of moments to rest up before the next round. Two fighters left to deal with, just two.

While they waited, Blu took this opportunity to work on his training. With Nico sitting on his back as extra weight, Blu begun to perform push-ups to get prepared although it was not yet his turn to fight. At this rate, Blu wouldn't even have to fight at all.

Eduardo raised an eyebrow. Although he did not doubt's Blu's abilities, he couldn't help but question the obvious: "Blu, I respect that you're staying prepared but are you sure you want to keep pushing yourself? These fighters are obviously amateurs and Roberto may be able to beat the last two?"

"Just…Need…To…Stay…Prepared…." Blu answered between push-ups.

Eduardo did not need to question further when the coach returned with the next set of cards.

The coach beckoned for the crowd to settle before reading. "And now for round 5 we have…Roberto vs Enrico!"

The crowd cheered as Roberto prepared himself for his next opponent. As he reached the centre however, Enrico had not yet arrived from his own side. Everyone fell silent as they wondered what happened. That was until they witnessed Felipe and Carlos trying to wake him up.

"I told you to go easy on the beer!" Felipe screamed but despite his best efforts, it was clear Enrico was not getting back up anytime soon.

"It looks like team Felipe have lost a fighter before they match even begun!" Porcupine Game Announcer noted with a chuckle.

"That only leaves one fighter available," Tapir Game Announcer agreed.

The crowd did not know whenever to laugh or mock. Either way, the next and possible final fight was to occur very soon. The coach exchanged cards with the judges as he moved out to announce the next fighter.

The coach once again announced the next games: "And now for round 5-again-we have…Roberto VS Anton!"


	5. Round 5

_**Rio: The Arena Tournament**_

 ** _Hey, hey! I'm here with chapter 5. Enjoy reading and don't forget to smash that review button._**

* * *

"And now for round 5-again-we have…Roberto VS Anton!"

Roberto prepared himself for his next and final opponent. Just one more to go and this would make their team the winner of these year's tournament no doubt. Nevertheless, Roberto wasn't going to get too confident. Compared to the other fighters, Anton looked serious. He didn't appear to contain a single emotion across his face.

Anton slowly stepped up from his position and marched his way into the ring. Felipe was probably the most nervous, nibbling his wingtips as his remaining fighter stepped up. Two of his teammates were beaten, one disqualified and another one drunken.

"This is it," Eduardo stated as Blu finished his push-ups and joined his father-in-law. "One more to go."

"Roberto can do it, sir," Blu assured, quite confident that Roberto could beat this bat.

"I hope so," Eduardo replied in a hesitant tone. Roberto was his top fighter; how could he be worried?

By now, Anton had stepped into the ring and stopped. The coach moved out of the way and allowed the two fighters to begin their battle. "Round 5! Fight!"

Immediately, Roberto raised his wings in defence. As for Anton, he remained perfectly still with his wings kept to his sides, simply glaring towards his opponent.

Roberto raised his eyebrow as he slowly marched forward. "You're not going to put up a fighting stance?"

Anton did not respond and continued to stare down upon his enemy. The crowd were watching in silence, eager to see the fight between both team's best fighters. The tension was killing them.

It took a moment or two until Roberto finally decided to attack. With a yell of determination, he lunged forward to strike. As Roberto's wing almost came into contact, Anton suddenly punched him directly into his beak. The force was so powerful that it actually knocked Roberto down onto his back.

"Oh!" Tapir Game Announcer gasped. "Now that was a hit."

Roberto was a born fighter but that last attack hurt more than everything he had every experienced. He clutched his beak as he slowly regained his footing. "What the heck?"

Fortunately, Anton had not continued his attack. He remained in position as he moved one wing back to his side.

"How did he do that?" Roberto questioned himself while rubbing off his beak. "He moved so quick, it's like…I couldn't even see him move!"

Anton glared down towards Roberto for a moment until for the first time since their arrival he spoke with a suggestion: "You should give up."

Roberto raised an eyebrow yet again. "What did you say?"

"You should give up," Anton recommended a second time.

Roberto was not one to get overconfident but how dare the bat try to worry him with words. "Don't think just cause you got one lucky shot on me I'll drop down. No way!"

Eduardo called out before his closest friend got reckless. "Roberto, don't let him get to you."

Roberto nodded before lunging forward yet again to attack. From this point forward, Anton wasn't going to get lucky again. As he came close to the bat, Roberto dodged and swiftly spun behind him in an attempt to deliver a swift kick.

His talon almost collided but to his surprise, Anton moved his head out of the way a split-second before impact, surprising Roberto yet again. How could this bat be so old yet move so quick?

Roberto did not get another chance to think when Anton begun his attack. With incredible speed, Anton raised his wings and delivered yet another punch into Roberto's chest.

"Another fast strike there from Anton!" Porcupine Game Announcer stated.

The crowd from blue macaw's side gasped as Roberto stumbled backwards. Even his fans were concerned that he may actually be losing. Roberto regained his footing before falling out of the ring. That was a close one.

Roberto groaned and begun to nurse his injury. AJ's fast attacks didn't even hurt that much. "He did it again. How is he hitting me so fast? That kick should have got him!"

Anton continued to frown as he awaited Roberto to begin his attack again. The crowd remained silent in the meantime as they eagerly waited for more but all the while curious as to how Anton was moving so fast. What type of trick did this guy have?

Roberto had to try and different strategy. Attacking Anton head on was not getting their team anywhere. He had to relax and think. "Anton's a lot quicker than I thought. I have to try something different. Maybe if I can react quicker than he moves, I might be able to counter his next strike. I just need to be quicker than he is!"

In other fight, Roberto would have planned differently but against an opponent like Anton, options were limited. As Roberto planned, Anton suddenly charged forward with incredible speed.

Roberto braced himself and prepared to counter. Anton came close and before Roberto could even think of throwing a punch, Anton swiftly before an uppercut against him. Roberto stumbled as Anton continued his attack, delivering three more quick strikes: one in the chest, another at the side of his head, and two more in the lower torso.

"OW!" Porcupine Game Announcer cringed. "What an attack!"

That last attack knocked Roberto into the air. Despite the pain, all Roberto could think was: "How is he doing this?!"

Anton leaped up and proceeded to continue. Roberto attempted to block but Anton was faster and moved behind him, kicking Roberto in the back.

Roberto groaned in agony as he collapsed stomach first.

The blue macaw clan watched in horror as their best fighter was practically getting destroyed. Their opponent spectators sitting on the opposite end watched with amazement. Felipe was practically cheering at this point.

While the blue macaw team watched in fear, they were joined by a familiar face: Armando returned, now with a cast around his injured wing.

"Hey guys," Armando greeted, taking a seat beside Blu. "What'd I miss?"

Blu kept his explanation brief. "To keep it short, AJ and Enrico are out, Roberto's fighting Anton but he can't beat him."

Eduardo joined in. "Roberto hasn't managed to land a single hit on him."

Roberto recovered and swiftly moved to kick Anton, only to miss. Anton countered with a swift punch to under Roberto's beak. Roberto stumbled backwards but this time, Anton seized his attack and allowed Roberto some breathing space.

"Grr!" Roberto grunted while wiping his injury. "This isn't working. I need to keep back."

Planning a new strategy, Roberto moved a good distance back almost touching the edge of the ring. He calmed himself and prepared to defend but surprising, Anton did not continue. The bat calmly put his wings back to his sides and waited.

A small part of Roberto wanted to attack but that would do him no good. "I wish you'd stop staring me down like that."

Anton suddenly charged yet again. Even with the distance between both birds, Anton had somehow moved so quick that Roberto didn't even notice him move. He delivered another punch into Roberto's hip.

That last attack was too difficult to understand. How could Anton move so fast without anyone noticing? Roberto was in too much pain to know. He collapsed onto his side, clutching a wing around his torso.

Meanwhile, Anton seized his attack yet again and calmly waited. "Do you understand the situation now? Last chance to give up."

Roberto placed both wings against the ground to push himself up but his hip hurt too much. "No…I'll never…Give up!...Oh what's the use?...I can't even hit him cause he moves so quick…If only he would stand still…"

If this was a cartoon, a lightbulb would have appeared above Roberto's head. "Wait, that's it!"

Roberto regained his footing and planned his next attack. "That bat's beaten me up but I'm still standing and not about to give up."

"Contestant Roberto is still standing." Tapir Game Announcer stated.

"I'd hate to be him right now," Porcupine Game Announcer added.

Anton continued his usual glare towards his opponent. "Have you finished making a plan? Or have you finally decided to give up?"

Roberto grinned and shook off the previous pain. Everyone watched in anticipation but from what they witnessed so far, Anton had the upper hand in this fight. It wasn't until Roberto charged that the others grew more interested.

With a roar of determination, Roberto charged directly towards Anton. Roberto raised his wing to attack but not surprising, Anton had countered with a swift punch to his lower body.

This time however, Roberto did not get blown back. Instead, he grabbed the bat's wing to prevent him from moving. "Like to see you dodge now!"

With Anton stuck, Roberto raised his other wing to punch Anton in his face. His wing came close but the bat moved his head to the side a split second before. Anton used his wing currently pressed into Roberto's body to inflict more damage. He pressed his wing further within, causing Roberto to freeze in agony.

Roberto attempted to tolerate the pain but that final strike was just too much for him to endure. Without another word, Anton stepped back and watched as Roberto plummeted towards the ground, clutching his injured side while doing so.

"I don't think I can watch!" Porcupine Game Announcer stated.

"Contestant Roberto is out!" Tapir Game Announcer announced.

The coach stepped in and after making certain that Roberto was not in any condition to get back up, he announced this round's winner: "Anton is the winner of round 5!"

The blue macaw team could only watch in shock as their best fighter was eliminated. That last attack rendered Roberto unable to stand on his own two talons. It wasn't until a couple of medic birds arrived and gently picked up Roberto to take him elsewhere. This certainly knocked some confidence out of the team.

Felipe was practically jumping with joy. "Yes! He did it! I knew you was good, Anton!"

Anton did not respond and get his usual blank face, even with a group of spectators cheering for him.

The coach returned once Roberto was attended to and Anton had a chance to catch his breath. He had the next set of cards with him as he announced the next fighter. "For our next round we have...Blu VS Anton!"

Blu gulped and had to practically force his talons to lift him upwards and slowly walk towards the ring. Even with the crowd cheering for his name, Blu was not looking forward to this at the least. That was until he regonized the familiar sounds of his family.

"You can do it, Blu!" Jewel called out from her stand.

Tiago jumped up. "You can do anything, Dad!"

Bia joined in. "Calculate his movements, Dad!"

Carla was the last one to speak up. "Remember everything Pop-pop taught you!"

Although scared, his family's assurance gave Blu a small smile as he moved further towards the ring, now feeling a little more prepared. He stood a mere few feet away from the bat as the coach stood in between.

The coach as usual, instructed them: "Blu, Anton, you both know the rules. Make it a good fight." he moved out of the way and allowed the next battle to begin. "Round 6! Fight!"


	6. Round 6 Part 1

_**Rio: The Arena Tournament**_

 ** _I'm here with chapter 6. Sorry for the discontinued status, was a bit stuck along with work and university taking up my time. Either way, here's next chapter._**

* * *

In what could finally be the last match, the two fighters stood only a few feet away from another. Blu and Anton, each representing a different clan. Needless to say, Blu was afraid, more scared than he had been since his first arrival at Rio.

With observation, one could easily recognize that Anton was no pushover. If he could easily overpower Roberto, then what chance did Blu have?

Despite this wave of fear he felt, Blu could not give up. He had to fight, no matter the odds.

"Round 6! Fight!"

Upon hearing the announcement, Blu pressed both wings in front of him and took a respectful bow. This kind act of gesture appeared to surprise Anton. He raised on eyebrow in surprise ment but immediately shook it off and kept his usual expressionless face.

With the fight now underway, Blu raised both wings and slowly marched forward. "I don't know how I am going to do this but I will never give up. I have to win."

Anton continued to stare him down. "I will give you the same chance I give your other friend: give up now."

"I'm sorry, but I can't," Blu declined, knowing he would never live it down.

As the match begun, Blu charged with a yell of determination. Upon reaching the bat, Blu tried to throw him off guard by swiftly ducking and delivering a leg sleep. His talon almost came close but a direct kick from Anton sent him flying backwards.

"Ow!" Tapir Game Announcer cringed upon seeing the damage. "A heavy kick from Anton has knocked Blu backwards!"

Blu fortunately landed on his feet but that kick had him in agony. He groaned and clutched both wings around his torso, trying to tolerate the pain. "That hurt! How the heck did he do that?"

With luck, Anton had not started his offensive. He remained still, giving Blu another chance to strike.

"I can do this," Blu told himself for motivation. "Okay, let's go!"

Charging yet again, Blu begun skipping in different directions in an attempt to throw Anton off guard. His movements were swiftly but not enough for the bat to avoid. When close, Anton raised one wing and punched Blu directly in the side of his face.

As Blu stumbled, he clutched his wing over his right eye, falling down in agony. Anton swiftly kicked him backwards and took a few steps backwards.

The crowd gasped when seeing the damage that was inflicted upon Blu. Although Anton ceased his attack for now, the coach leaped into the ring when seeing Blu possibly unconsciousness.

"It appears Contestant Blu is seriously hurt," Porcupine Game Announcer stated.

"Anyone who underestimated Anton's abilities knows better now," Tapir Game Announcer agreed while his gaze followed the bird attending to Blu. "It appears our coach has ceased the match for now."

The coach inspected Blu, persuading him to take a look at his eye. When his wing moved from its nursing position, everyone gasped when seeing the damage.

Blu's right eye was almost completely swollen, his brown pupil barely visible. This caused the crowd from both teams to be concerned for his well-being.

Jewel was the worst, holding one wing over her beak in shock.

"Are you okay?" the coach inquired, taking one wing to help him sit up.

"I...think...so," Blu answered between groans.

The coach placed one wing over Blu's good eye while holding up his other in front of the swollen eye. "Blu, how many wingtips am I holding up? How many?"

Blu could hardly see but counted another wingtips. "Four."

The coach changed the amount. "How many now?"

"Two," Blu responded.

The coach moved his wings and gave a thumbs up (the best a bird could anyway) towards the judges to inform them that he was still in condition to fight.

"Contestant Blu is okay!" Tapir Game Announcer cheered.

The coach took his wing and helped him stand. "Do you wish to continue fighting?"

Blu hesitated to answer. He promised himself that he would not give up but Anton had inflicted more damage than Nigel ever could in a matter of seconds. He turned towards the crowd, seeing the look of worry across his friends. Jewel was the worst. He read her face like a book, knowing she couldn't bear watching him in pain.

"Please Blu," Jewel spoke quietly. "You don't have anything to prove, there's no shame in defeat."

With some consideration over a whole minute, Blu came a to decision: "I wish to continue fighting."

The blue macaw crowed cheered, admiring Blu's determination. Even Eduardo was impressed that his son-in-law would want to continue despite his injury.

The coach nodded and after making certain he could stand, moved out of the arena.

Blu steadied himself and raised both wings, preparing a defensive. With his injured eye, it was difficult to see full view of the bat. If Anton decided to attack him from the right, he was going to be in trouble no doubt.

Anton calmly placed both wings to his side. "You must know that is useless to fight me. No matter how hard you attack me, if you continued to get hurt, you will cause yourself permanent injury. For the sake of your own safety, surrender."

Blu raised a small smirk. "I will never surrender. Not when I know how to beat you now,"

Anton frowned in confusion. "And how is that?"

"You'll see soon enough," Blu assured quite confidently.

"You may be bluffing," Anton assumed.

"You will find out for yourself in a few seconds," Blu replied a second time.

The constants stared one another, bringing more tension to the arena. With concentrated strategy, Blu charged forward yet again to fight on the offensive.

"What is he doing?" Jewel questioned. "I know my Blu, he's smarter than to attack like this."

As Blu had his wing raised to strike, Anton swiftly threw his own punch when his enemy was within his range. Everyone expected the same results as before, but this time they were in for a surprise.

Anton had never hit Blu. When Anton threw that last hit, Blu had placed one wing over his face, blocking his attack. Everyone was stunned that Blu had predicated his attack, even Anton was slightly surprise.

Blu grinned as he raised his head. "I did it. I countered your attack."

Anton, still surprised that someone had blocked his attack after so many years was not expecting a sudden kick from Blu. Anton moved his head back to dodge but was not fast enough to avoid Blu's claw grazing across his forehead, leaving a slight mark.

"Incredible!" Porcupine Game Announcer shouted. "Blu has managed to injure Anton!"

"Yes!" Tiago whopped, throwing his wings in excitement. "Get him, Dad!"

Both fighters regained their footing with Anton now knowing he would have be more careful that he predicated.

"Lucky hit," Anton stated calmly.

"Lucky hit?" Blu replied in disagreement. He raised both of his wings. "Are you sure?"

To prove this, Blu threw a punch yet again. In response, Anton threw a kick, only to have it blocked when Blu placed both wings upwards in a defensive position.

Quickly as lighting, Blu leaped his talon up and kicked Anton with all his might, landing a successful blow on the bat's torso.

"What?" Anton questioned as he stumbled backwards but kept his footing nevertheless.

"How did Blu do that?" Roberto wondered, rubbing his head in confusion.

"Blu might have just figured out how to beat Anton," Eduardo added, his tone full of hope.

Felipe, now concerned for his team quickly jumped up and called out to his best fighter. "Anton! Don't lose focus!"

As Anton recovered himself, he calmly wiped his wing against his torso. "It appears you are more skillful than I anticipated."

Blu grinned. "It wasn't too difficult. I observed your attacks and timed exactly how long it takes you to throw a punch and a kick."

Despite this news, Anton did not appear to be concerned. Instead, he raised one wing and calmly wiped off the small amount of blood that had been lift from that small scratch. "I give you praise for landing a blow on me. It has been a long time since I met someone who could challenge me. But do not let that fill your thoughts with confidence. From this point forward...You will lose."


	7. Round 6 part 2

_**Rio: The Arena Tournament**_

 _ **Here we are, chapter 7! Remember to review!**_

* * *

"You will lose."

Those words sent chills down Blu's spine. It was quite clear from this moment forward that Anton was now going fight more seriously than before. Even with Blu's advantage now, it was difficult to determine who had the advantage.

Without another word, Anton charged and Blu prepared a defensive stance. Timing Anton's attacks as fast as his mind could comprehend, the two begun to rapidly exchange blows, countering and striking the other.

"This is incredible!" Tapir Game Announcer yelled.

Anton blocked more two more attacks before catching Blu's wing within his own. Surprisingly, he had to put more effort just to block.

"I told you I wouldn't give up," Blu responded, taking his wing back.

"You have skill," Anton noted. "But intelligence alone won't be enough to save you this battle,"

"We'll see," Blu replied.

With swift speed, Blu delivered a kick to Anton's side, followed by an uppercut. Caught by surprise, Anton was forced back as Blu delivered one more punch against this face.

Anton regained his footing. "Not bad at all,"

The two stared each other down, eagerly awaiting for the other to make a move. The crowd was left waiting in anticipation, on the edge of their seats. After taking a combat stance, Anton charged, his wing raised to delivery a devastating blow. It would have worked, had Blu not suddenly hit first, striking hard into the bat's stomach.

Anton stumbled, clutching both one wing against his torso. He expected his opponent to continue with his assault but to his surprise, Blu had allowed him to recover. "Not going to attack?"

"You let me have a chance," Blu reminded, stepping back to give Anton some room.

It had been a long time since Anton fought someone honourably. Whoever this blue macaw was had been the first one in a long time to actually catch him off guard and put up a longer fight. Anton admired him for not but would never allow his opponent to know.

Now recovered, Anton prepared himself for battle. Blu had been getting lucky but now it was his turn. With a fast leap, Anton begun his offensive, throwing many punches and kicks towards Blu who barely blocked each one. As they continued, Anton landed a blow but Blu in return pushed his wing away and hit back.

"This is quite the match!" Porcupine Game Announcer whooped.

With a roar, Blu charged and threw a punch, only for Anton to block with both wings but the impact had been strong enough to knock him back. As Blu got caught up in the moment, Anton waited until he was close before delivering a powerful punch directly his lower stomach.

It took a few seconds until Blu finally comprehended what had just happened. He collapsed, clutching his injured stomach. Anton stood back as Blu tried to get back up but the pain prevented that.

"Blu," Jewel whispered while rubbing one wing against the other in worry. "Stay safe."

If that last blow had been stronger, Blu might have been down for good. To everyone's surprise, he recovered slowly and was able to stand with some struggle.

Anton didn't know whenever to be surprised or amused. "You don't know how to stay down."

"I...I had a good teacher," Blu replied between groans.

Even with the injury, Blu attempted to throw a punch, only for Anton to calmly dodged before delivering a fury of punches, striking so fast that no-one could hardly see it. The crowd was concerned for both fighter's safety, even if they were cheering for a different team.

After taking what must have been thirty hits, Anton delivered one final kick against Blu's torso, knocking him down yet again. Every part of his body hurt, more pain than he had even experienced throughout all previous injuries put together.

"GRH! AH!" Blu cried out between screams. Worst, one of Anton's punches had hit him in his already injured eye.

"Contestant Blu is down once again!" Porcupine Game Announcer announced.

"But unless it's a knock out, he's still in the game," Tapir Game Announcer reminded.

Jewel had enough of watching her loved one get hurt like this. She leaped down and moved in, only to be restrained by her father. "Dad, what are you doing?!"

"Jewel, you cannot interfere," Eduardo warned as he pulled her back with the team.

"Blu's getting hurt out there," Jewel reminded while she struggled. "Can't you see that?!"

"Jewel, I'm almost concerned as you are," Eduardo assured, loosening his grip once she had finally relaxed. "But this is something Blu wants to do. Your mate is smart, he knows when it's time to give up. Please honey, let Blu make his own decision."

Jewel did not like this one bit but out of respect for her husband's decision, she stayed back. Nevertheless, she secretly prayed that Blu would finally throw in the towel.

In the meantime, Anton stood back with his wings crossed, watching his opponent squirm around in pain. With the amount of damage he had just received, anyone else would have stayed down. Anton expected this but stood back in disbelief when Blu slowly pushed himself up.

"Impossible," Anton sighed.

Barely staying on both feet, Blu stood and raised his strained wings in a defensive pose. His determination caused the blue macaws to cheer for him, admiring his courage to continue fighting.

"You are indeed a rare fighter," Anton noted. "Why do you continue to fight?"

"I...Promised...Myself...To...Never...Give...Up..." Blu barely replied. His pain was practically blocking his ability to speak. "My family...My friends...They are counting on me..."

Anton was further surprised by that last statement. He uncrossed his wings. "You fight because your fiends are counting on yet despite knowing you could lose?"

Blu slowly nodded in response.

"That...Is very honourable of you," Anton praised but spoke in his usual motionless voice.

"What...About...You?" Blu inquired, curious as to the bat's reasons for participating.

Anton didn't remember the last time someone asked about him. Whenever Blu was actually curious or was simply trying to buy time to recover didn't matter to him. "It has been a long time since I last fought. Once ago my clan use to hold tournaments just like this. I was always the best fighter, a legend among my people. I do this because it's the only thing I know...I am not entering this tournament for Felipe, only for myself."

This explained his motives for fighting and why Anton had given him so many chances to surrender.

"Our Contestants appear to be having a conversation," Porcupine Game Announcer stated impatiently. "Come on guys, we have a show to get on with!"

"I guess...That's our cue," Blu noted, raising a small grin. "Anton, even if I don't win I want you to know that this fight with you has been great. I would be honoured to face you in combat again someday."

For once, Anton shared the mutual feeling. "As would I. Now let us finish this."

Anton raised both wings and Blu did the same. Both fighters had received damage but Blu was clearly the worst for it. He was just about standing, let alone fighting.

With his last ounce of strength, Blu threw a swift punch that collided with Anton's face. When he threw a second punch, Anton blocked before delivering a punch to his chest, then to the side and with one final kick, Anton knocked Blu down.

That last attack finally did it. Blu collapsed back first, both eyes closing as he drifted off into an unconscious state.

"Contestant Blu is out!" Tapir Game Announcer stated.

"He appears to be seriously injured," Porcupine Game Announcer noted in concern. "Someone better get the medics!"

With the match now officially over, Jewel couldn't take it anymore. She charged into the ring, jumping down as sat next to Blu, holding his injured body with her wings. "Blu! Blu! Speak to me!"

To her relief, Blu slowly opened his good eye, raising a small smile. "Hey Jewel..."

"Blu, you had me so worried," Jewel told him, pressing her head against his own. "Never do that to me again."

The coach emerged onto the wing, accompanied with a couple of medics for Blu. He took Anton's wing and held it up. "Anton is the winner of round 6!"

A couple of birds acting as medics gently lifted Blu up, carrying him over towards the stand with the rest of his team. They gently lied ihm down to rest and attended to his injuries. His family were also present too, concerned for his well-being.

"Dad," Bia whimpered as Mimi placed one wing over her for comfort. "Is he gonna be okay?"

One of the medics inspected his injuries which were quite a lot to go over without hurting him further. He leaned up and nodded. "Blu will be okay. His eye may take a little while to heal because of the swelling, but the rest of his body will heal. He'll need lots of rest, that includes no flying for while."

"I...Think I can live...With that," Blu agreed between groans.

Jewel gently stroked one wing tip over his head. "You did great out there, Blu. You had me worried but I know you meant well. It's over now."

"Not yet," Eduardo reminded, turning towards their remaining fighter. "There's still one more fight to go."

The coach entered the centre of the ring, awaiting for the crowd to settle. For his final announcement, he didn't need anymore cards for the judges. "And now for the next and final round we have...Mac VS Anton!"


	8. Round 7

_**Rio: The Arena Tournament**_

 ** _The final chapter everyone. Thanks for reading and I hoped you enjoyed._**

* * *

"Mac VS Anton!"

No one in a million years would have expected Mac would be the final fighter of the blue macaw team. Needless to say, he was terrified! Him, a small yellow bird with little to no experience against Anton, a warrior who had already defeated Blu and Roberto.

Slowly, Mac entered the ring, his legs shaking with every step of the way. His older brother watched from the blue macaw crowded, watching in concern. There was simply no way his brother could match Anton in a fight.

Mac finally reached the ring, standing only a few feet from Anton. Despite already facing two fighters, Anton did not appear to have been worn down at all. He could easily keep this up for one more round.

"This is not good," Eduardo sighed, holding one wing to his face. "How is Mac going to fight Anton?"

Roberto shrugged. "It looks like this is it."

Blu raised his head up to speak but his injuries were too crucial to even speak let alone move. The medics continued attending to his injuries, but Blu made certain to have a clear view of the fight with his good eye. He intended to see his day from the beginning to the end.

The coach stood in between the two as it was now time for the final match. "Here we go, good luck to the both of you," he stepped back and did his announcement one final time: "Round 7! Fight!"

Upon hearing the announcement, neither of the fighters had not yet moved. Mac continued to shake in fear while Anton stared him down with his usual expressionless face.

"Here it is!" Porcupine Game Announcer called out. "The final fight for this years arena tournament!"

"Representing the blue macaw clan is Contestant Mac!" Tapir Game Announcer added.

Felipe was certainly amused upon seeing the final fighter his rival had chosen to represent his team. He chuckled and leaned back with his wings crossed. "Eduardo certainly has been getting weak. GO and get him Anton!"

Mac wanted to run and hide but he made a promise to himself that he would not run away and see this through to the end, even if it meant getting hurt. After finally shaking off his paralyzing fear, Mac clutched his right wing into a fist and charged, screaming out in frustration. Anton, knowing that the young yellow macaw's attacks would have little to no effect, did not even waste energy prediciating his attack.

Within seconds, Mac swung his wing and hit Anton directly in his torso. He gave it everything he had but unfortunately, his weak attack did not even faze Anton at the least. The crowd watched with anticipation, awaiting for Anton to make his next move.

As Mac kept his fist into Anton's torso, the bat narrowed his eyes around to investigate his surroundings. His fight with Blu had left him thinking for a while. The blue macaw had fought him with such honour, one he had not seen in a long time. Blu didn't fight him for the sake of winning but for his friends and family. His clan appeared to share the same feeling.

Anton narrowed his eyes back towards Felipe. While the scarlet macaw was far from evil, it was clear that he only sought to win instead of merely representing his clan. Anton did not mind Felipe's attitude but after being absent from fighting for so long. Anton finally remembered what it was like to truly fight with honour as opposed to competition. He didn't exactly appreciate being used either just for his skills.

Without another thought, Anton suddenly dramatically screamed and launched himself backwards, surprising everyone watching. In seconds, the bat had fallen out of the ring and landed straight onto his back. No-one had certainly expected this to have happened, including Mac who looked just as surprised as the spectators.

"Unbelievable!" Tapir Game Announcer yelled, rubbing his eyes to make certain he was not imagining.

"WHAT?!" Felipe screamed, leaping up in shock with both wings pressed against his head..

"Contestant Mac had knocked out the legendary bat with one hit!" Porcupine Game Announcer added. "Incredible. Blue macaw team is the winner!"

Despite the shock everyone had just endured, both sides begun to cheer as loud as they could, clapping with excitement. The team of blue macaws charged out towards the arena, cheering for the yellow bird who was still surprised as to what had just happened.

"You did it!" Eduardo cheered, patting the yellow bird on the back that almost caused him to trip.

"I….I did!" Mac gasped, obliviously to the fact the bat had purposely lost.

With some support from Jewel, Blu was able to join the others as well. He narrowed his good eye towards Anton who had recovered himself and stood. Knowing the bat had lost on purpose, Blu slowly nodded towards him as a thanks. Anton returned the gesture as he marched away.

Felipe was still shock as to what had just occurred. He stopped Anton before he could leave. "Anton! What happened?! How did you get beaten so easily?"

Anton shrugged. "It appears I was caught off guard."

With no response, Felipe was left speechless. He watched as Anton left the arena to return to his own clan, his businesses here concluded. With this loss, Felipe had to prepare for next year's tournament.

"Great job, Mac!" Blu praised, patting the small bird despite knowing the full strength.

"I...I don't know how I did it," Mac replied as his older brother picked him up and sat him on his shoulders. "T-T-Thanks everyone!"

This year's arena tournament had taken a lot of energy out of the many fighters, including various injuries among the fighter's from both teams. Nevertheless, everyone was pleased with the results and needless to say, everyone was already looking forward to next year's tournament.


End file.
